The U.S. House is scheduled to begin its summer recess on Friday. A lot remains to be done for the MAGA majority to feel like it has actually earned the six-week summer vacation.
Hanging over the heads of those on both sides of the aisle, of course, is the 2026 midterms, which make it hard to expect that anything of substance can get done when the House gets back in session the week of Sept. 8, after Labor Day, ahead of the sprint to the November elections.
On the agenda for what promises to be a busy week:
- The annual defense policy package: Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled that he intends to merge the NDAA legislation with the SAVE America Act, which is a no-go with respect to the U.S. Senate, in terms of its chances at getting passed.
- Legislation to fund the government beyond the midterms: Johnson wants a bill that would fund the government through Dec. 4; hardliners in his caucus want to tie this, again, to the SAVE America Act, which, again, is a no-go, with respect to the Senate.
- Stock trading ban: the MAGA bill is “so filled with holes it would make Swiss cheese blush,” according to one key House Democrat, meaning, Johnson is going to need to get this one through with Republican votes – also meaning: he can’t afford to have defectors.
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Chris Graham
